Rising and Falling, Book Four of Four
by python862
Summary: Simonee and his companions have overcome much in their time, but their greatest challenge lies ever onward. With Dalaran firmly seated in Northrend, and armies invading Arthas' domain, the gauntlet has been laid down, and Azeroth will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1: Taking Stock

**Rising and Falling**

**Part One: Falling**

**Chapter One: Taking Stock**

Simonee took in a deep breath, his eyes closed while familiar runes of arcane energy flowed in and out of his vision fleetingly. These runes were so vivid compared to the ones he had been used to working with, the spell being what it was.

The ley energy rushing through the veins of his limbs exhilarated him to no end, amplifying his focus into the intricacies of his work. Simonee didn't dare open his eyes for fear of losing track of the runes he had been watching for well over half an hour now, but just feeling through the energy, he knew that beside him to either side were hundreds of mages, all spread out evenly around the border of Dalaran, just behind the shimmering purple illusion of a barrier. He also knew that each and every one of them were chanting the exact same muttered words that formed the incantation they were to use in order to try and move Dalaran somewhere where the mages within could be of more use. They all concentrated to their fullest - anyone participating in the spell was held liable for a specific part of that spell, and if any one part failed, the spell as a whole did as well. This meant that everyone gave their utmost attention to what they were doing, lest wasting time they likely wouldn't have in resting everyone back to full power for another attempt.

After returning to Sira's house on the edge of town, Simonee found that it wasn't long at all before Rhonin once again called upon all of them to take their places amongst the other mages residing in Dalaran. Even Dagerly, Aeriah, and Garret had been allowed to tag along to watch and participate. They had only been given small parts to maintain, how small depending on just how keen they were to the arcane energies.

As Rhonin explained it to Simonee on their way to his position, "Even the least likely person, the one who has never knowingly cast a spell in their lives, has a tie to the power we use and take for granted. It is the very power of life we hold in our hands, that power we mold so easily. I think you'll find, in your time in Dalaran, that not much is different between the energy we use and that of priests and warlocks. Not to mention, we will need all that we can muster if we are to succeed in this."

The air around the mages was still - an enchantment had been placed on the area, in preparation to the current spell, that had silenced everything to allow the participants full concentration without any potential interruptions. After all, any misdirections in attention were quite unwelcome at this stage. The silence was overwhelming, and very unnatural, but it had very well succeeded at removing distractions.

Even considering the lack of sound, there was no lack of energy surrounding the procession of mages. If anyone could actually hear the oscillations of the air around them, they would have described it as a vague, but very loud crackling as the arcana they wove took shape, woven into the spell and amplified more than tenfold by the ley lines converging into Dalaran. If one were to open their eyes and see the incantation unfold, the very land would seem to be shifting as a part of the pure power flowing through them, using their very bodies for conduits of release into the atmosphere around them.

And suddenly, the spell took on a life of it's own. The arcane energy that had been released into the atmosphere formed into a sphere around Dalaran, filling the air with crackling energy and digging into the ground like a keen dagger through parchment. An arcane whine filled the silent air, sounding like the normal, musical sound of arcane energy going at a thousand times faster and several hundred times louder. The whine reached an all time high and a deafening bang was heard across Hillsbrad as Dalaran, the City of Mages, imploded from the spot it once sat, leaving a large crater with a giant, glowing rune in the center. The rune pulsed rapidly, then slowed down and covered the crater in purple lines of energy, ensuring that the crossing of ley lines Dalaran once sat on would never be used by anyone but of the Kirin Tor.

At Dalaran's arrival, the runes left Simonee and he slumped to his knees. He felt strangely hollow, the full drain of the spell delayed for a few precious minutes. With hands on his knees he breathed, listening to his heartbeat and the rasping breath of those around him, mage and otherwise. After a moment to get his bearings, Simonee stood back up.

He finally opened his eyes, and what he saw astounded him. Below, not only were there flocks of birds flying, there was a wide rivulet carving its way through autumn-brown canopies, completely separating the area into halves. He himself stood precariously on the edge of a clay outcropping that seemed to stretch around the entire city. Only when he noticed this fact did he feel the exhaustion set in. He would need to get himself safe before the full effects of the spell hit him. It could cause him to fall unconscious, or worse, completely off the city. With that in mind, he shuffled off in search of a place to rest.

* * *

When next Simonee realized what was going on, he was sitting in one of Sira's dining room chairs, behind a porcelain cup filled with tea.

"Are you alright, deary?" the woman herself asked him as he seemed to come to.

"Fine, thank you. Er... how did I get here, exactly?" he asked in response, looking confusedly up at her as she tended to him.

"Well. Long story short, you fool mages succeeded in bringing Dalaran into the heart of Northrend, and in doing so, nearly knocked the collective lot of you unconscious. At least most of you had the sense to get off that frightful precipice before you fell."

"Wait, most?" a look of concern crossed Simonee's features. "What happened to the rest?"

Sira gave him a quick look meant to reassure him. "Nothing harmful. Countermeasures were taken so that in case any of you fell, you'd quickly be raised back to safety. After all, it would be most shameful if you came so far only to fall to your death, don't you agree?"

He could only nod. So everyone was safe and sound... for this moment at the very least. Northrend was inherently a very dangerous place. Simonee had heard stories. Stories of expeditions to the cold, unforgiving north which hadn't come back. Stories of undead monstrosities roaming the wilderness, stalking the forests and plains in search of lively prey to bolster their numbers. Stories of a fallen prince who ascended to preside over a kingdom of unnatural beings who, by all means, should not be "alive". And, for all he knew, these stories weren't just that; after all, the plagued lands back in the Eastern Kingdoms, the lands that used to be known as the kingdom of Lordaeron, were quite enough evidence of that.

Shaking his thoughts away from those dangerous ruminations, Simonee also shifted topics. "What of my friends? I trust they're all okay as well?"

Sira nodded. "Of course. They're all resting in the rooms above, with the exception of Garret. He went elsewhere, saying something about stopping voices in his head. If I were you, I'd try and find him, make sure he's okay."

"I'll do that right away. Thank you again."

Sira only nodded again, taking the untouched cup of tea from the table as Simonee rose from his seat and started on his way to finding Garret. _At least_, Simonee thought, _there's a good chance he's still in the city. I doubt Rhonin would have allowed anyone down just yet. Not until surveying the situation._

With that knowledge behind him, Simonee exited Sira's home and began to stalk the streets in search of his friend. Above, the sky was an almost-hypnotic dark shade of blue, with a faint, wispy borealis dancing between the thick layers of cloud. Even here, high in the skies of Northrend, beauty could be found and appreciated. Perhaps the land wasn't as tainted as Simonee was lead to believe. Sense, however, told him otherwise.

That very sense struggled to guide Simonee to where Garret might have wandered off to, in his search to quell the voices he apparently heard. Shamanism was a great mystery to the mage, naturally, and its inner workings always seemed to elude him, no matter how much time he set aside to studying the nature of it. Therefore, he concluded that these voices may have had something to do with that, or the other way around. What Simonee _had_ gleaned from his studies of the great shaman of the world, was that they were very in tune with the elements of nature. Water, earth, fire, air. These forces aided the shaman in almost the same way that mages bent the will of the arcane to suit the wants or needs of the situation.

But then the question became, where does one turn to avoid the beckoning of these forces? Behind liquor? Secluded from others in a place where meditative peace could be achieved? Or perhaps, was it possible that in order to avoid these outwardly-silent commands, that one would need to go to the epicenter of the very elements that issued them, where the voices were at their greatest?

Each of these possibilities weighed heavily on Simonee's mind as he weaved his way through the streets of Dalaran. He would just have to search each one individually until he found Garret. First, he would try one of the local taverns. There were three that he knew of within the city, one of which exclusive to members of the Silver Covenant. He would try that one first.

The gaping, vaulted doorway of the Silver Covenant-run A Hero's Welcome spoke the nature of the room beyond, as even in this late hour, the large tavern was as bustling as it had been under daylight. Four tables were situated in the main room, three chairs surrounding each, and all occupied by contented occupants. To either side of the tables rose staircases leading to the second level of the tavern, which in turn, held a couple more tables which was to the delight of even more patrons. On the back wall of the room was the bar, a semi-circular mahogany structure with cupboards cut into it to accommodate the lovely beverages the occupants of the room were all undoubtedly enjoying. The aroma of the aforementioned beverages overwhelmed anyone crossing the border inside.

Regardless of all these facts, Simonee was less than interested in the place itself. All he truly cared about was finding where his friend was. He took a quick visual survey of the tavern's lower level, spying no sign of his draenei friend. When it became apparent that he wasn't likely to _see_ any signs of Garret, he asked the innkeeper who kept station at the bottom of the stairs on the left side of the tavern.

Brushing past revelers in various states of cohesion, he strode to where the innkeep watched vigilantly over her charge, lest a violent brawl consume the entirety of her tavern.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm searching for a friend of mine, and I'm thinking that perhaps he's been through here. I was wondering if you'd be able to help me find him if he has," Simonee stated clearly, struggling to raise his voice over the numerous audible noises in the room, not the least of which being the raucous laughter that seemed to consume all other sounds.

The high elf looked up, taking note of the mage, the most recent resident of her tavern. "I might be able to help you locate him. But, I'd need some information before telling you whether I've seen him or not. Obviously, I see a fair share of faces pass through here day in and day out."

Simonee nodded quickly. "Of course. Though, I figure you might have some trouble forgetting a draenei. Around six feet tall, blue, has a tail?"

The elf laughed quietly to herself. "I'm afraid I haven't, then. Feel free to look around, though. There's a possibility that he could have sneaked his way in during all of this commotion," she stated, gesturing at the current patrons of the bar.

Graciously retreating from further conversation with a quick 'thank you', Simonee took the liberty given him to explore the higher portion of A Hero's Welcome. Maybe he could locate Garret in the upper level of the tavern. Then again, maybe not, if the lower section was any indication of how busy the place truly was. With a quick sigh, he headed up the stairs.

The top level was similar to the bottom in the fact that it had tables to hold drinks and feasts, as well as chairs to seat those that enjoyed such vices. While it was considerably quieter than the lower floor, it was still quite full with the bodies of men and women enjoying their evening while they still could. As such, it was difficult to even try and locate Garret. With a cursory glance over the patrons of the bar, however, he didn't see any sign of his shaman friend. That would have to suffice, as traveling further into the balcony would prove a difficult feat.

Traveling back down to the ground floor and out of the tavern, Simonee was once again greeted with the brisk nighttime breeze of Crystalsong Forest. The next place he decided he would check was the Legerdemain Lounge, located near the center courtyard of the city, on the northwest side of the square. It wasn't as large a tavern as A Hero's Welcome was, but from what Simonee had learned from socializing with the citizens of Dalaran, on a good night, it could attract just as many customers, if not more.

Keeping that in mind, Simonee began the short walk there.

Only to be met with the same sight, as if he should have been surprised. The Legerdemain Lounge was holding true to what the mage had heard, with nearly the same sized crowd gathered within its confines. This crowd, however, was all the more boisterous, as the innkeep herself joined in the activities, though she had been much more sober, understandably. But, with the proprietor of the establishment currently in no position to answer any questions, Simonee moved to the bartender to ask about Garret.

The bartender, a high elf by the name Arille Azuregaze, didn't provide him with useful information as to the whereabouts of his friend. Instead, he gave the mage leave to check the tavern, as had the previous innkeeper. Sighing to himself, Simonee did just that.

The tavern was formed as a vaguely hexagonal shape, with two entrances, one on the northwest wall, and one on the northeast. The north wall was dominated by the bar, around which stools had been set, and subsequently, were occupied by patrons either wallowing in their sorrows or indulging in the happy ruckus. To the southeast was a staircase, leading to the second level of the building, while the other two walls were dominated by a table and bookcases respectively.

Not seeing Garret anywhere within the confines of the lower floor, Simonee ascended the stairs. On the higher portion of the building, there were two rooms and a balcony. Neither of the rooms were occupied, but through the open doors, Simonee could see that one showcased a grand bed, most likely that of the proprietors, and the other was set up with four small beds. The balcony overlooked the well situated in the northern courtyard just outside the Bank of Dalaran. From it, Simonee could also see one of the entrances to the Magus Commerce Exchange, where he had been only a day ago, listening to everyone trying to sell their goods.

Garret Frosthammer, however, was obviously not in the Legerdemain Lounge.

Again, Simonee sighed, retracing his steps out of the tavern. He didn't even want to try the last inn, knowing that if the first two didn't produce results, then the third was hardly likely to be any different. A small glint caught Simonee's eye as he thought. He recognized it as the statue that had brought about the 'reincarnation' of Dalaran's old splendor. Now in its original greatness, it floated nearly a foot above its base of solid granite. Simonee knew who the figure was, if only because of his prominence in books dealing with the studies of the arcane. One of the greatest mages to have ever lived, predecessor to Rhonin as leader of the Kirin Tor, and teacher to Jaina Proudmoore. Archmage Antonidas.

Only after his falling at the hand of Arthas was Dalaran "destroyed", but his life before then had been illustrious, obtaining honors unheard of for his age in his younger years. Simonee admired and respected the man greatly. Giving the statue one last glance as he left it behind, Simonee continued his search. As soon as he reentered the street however, he came across an idea. Perhaps Rhonin would have some insight into where Garret was.

Armed with this new possibility, he began to make his way to the Violet Citadel. The blue sky had deepened in shade since he set out from Sira's house, and the contrast it created with the now-brighter borealis made the latter all the more defined.

The Violet Citadel towered over the city, looming sagely in the night sky. Its pinnacle was wreathed in the very clouds, which refracted light cast from the high moon. The scene was simply as poetic as they could come. Simonee wasn't watching the top of the tower, or he would have stopped to admire such a scene. Instead, he was focused more on climbing the stairs leading into the tower, where hopefully, he would encounter Rhonin.

As he ascended the final stair in the great ramp leading into the Citadel, Simonee was pleased to note Rhonin standing in the center of the 'lobby' area, speaking to a group of people. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that this was the Council of Six. Instead, perhaps they were commoners of the city just wishing to express a complaint, or similarly, wishing to compliment him on getting them all to Northrend safely. Whatever it was, it most likely wasn't his place to be involved, and as such, he stayed a small distance away from the exchange. As soon as they were all finished, those that weren't Rhonin bowed and left, those that were simply waved Simonee over.

"To what can I owe the pleasure of this meeting, Simonee?" he asked politely, smiling at the younger mage.

"I'm actually searching for Garret," Simonee replied. "I was wondering if you had any idea where he might be. Sira told me that he wandered off shortly after arriving here in Northrend."

Rhonin nodded. "Yes, indeed I do. I sent a team of mages down to the forest below in order to finish the anchor. He requested if he could join them and observe." Pausing for a few moments, the archmage took in a breath. "It seemed as though he was troubled, and I thought that maybe by allowing him to go with them to the Violet Stand he might resolve his troubles. He should still be down there. We've set up a transportation system between here and there for quick and easy travel. I'll show you the way."

With that, Rhonin exited the Citadel, with Simonee in tow. The two of them quickly made their way to the northeast corner of the square, whereupon they entered a building, walked down the stairs, and were greeted with a floating, reflective triangle with its point facing downward, spinning slowly on its axis.

"Touch this, and it will take you to our anchor site. There's a similar one there that will allow you back up again. Return whenever you wish, but don't wander down in the forest for long. Danger lurks everywhere here in Northrend. Don't forget that, it may save you and your friends," Rhonin warned Simonee and turned, walking back to the Citadel.

Simonee again inspected the strange device floating in the room, and then the room itself. It seemed to be nothing more than a small library; the bookcases that seemed to be everywhere in Dalaran indeed took up space here. With a shrug, he touched the triangle and immediately felt a tugging sensation. A rush of sensation forced him to take a look at his surroundings. The tugging made sense as he did so. He was literally being pulled down through the solid rock supporting Dalaran to the ground below. Glancing at his limbs, he was almost shocked to see that there were no limbs, nor did he currently have a torso or legs. Accepting his current state for the moment, Simonee marveled at the rate he was moving. He was moving faster than he would be should he have actually fallen, but at the same time, it felt more controlled somehow.

Down below, Simonee got his first look at the forest since arriving there. His first impression, back on the ledge, was that the forest was blanketed in browns and oranges. What he saw now, however, completely debased that thought. It was not a serene fall setting. It was instead, an unnatural, slightly unnerving display of a powerful magic that had passed long ago. The trees were made completely of a pinkish crystalline substance, as was nearly everything else in the forest. Simonee could only wonder what could have caused such a strange occurrence. This train of thought was derailed once he finally landed near a triangle similar to the one above.

He ended the small trip in a plot of stone ruins, definitely not an original feature for the area. Around the ruins was a purple sphere, similar to the one that had forever guarded Dalaran, and inside that sphere was the contingent of mages Rhonin sent to secure the anchor site for the levitation spell. Simonee's body rematerialized and almost immediately, he heard a voice from behind him.

"So much death here."

It was Garret.

"What?" Simonee couldn't help but reply, spinning to face his friend.

"Death, it's everywhere in Northrend. Land, air, seas. The elements themselves have slowly been dying through the Lich King's reign, and no one's been able to stop it or slow it down. They call out for help and there's no one answering. It's... overwhelming."

Simonee stayed silent. He couldn't begin to imagine what was taking place within Garret's mind. The elements had been alone for ages here in the north, and finally, here was one who could hear their pleas for help. They must have been asking in overdrive.

Garret sat on one of the stones that had crumbled under its own weight long ago. It had the makings of a large column, but now, in its sad state, it was nothing more than a decoration. There were many similar columns circling the ruins, each at varying heights and in differing states of decay. Simonee's curiosity wanted to know who or what built the structure, and what it served as before they crumbled away to time. Perhaps something he'd learn sometime else.

"You gonna be alright?" he asked.

Garret sighed. "I think so... but it's going to take some time before I can get used to such a thing after listening to the nearly calm elements of Azeroth for years. I came down here to perhaps make some headway into that goal. I think there's been some progress, but I really can't tell."

Simonee nodded and began to turn back to the triangle, but was held back by Garret as he began to speak again.

"You know, this isn't the first time I've been subjected to this sort of thing?"

Simonee turned back again and looked at the shaman. "When was the first time?"

Garret chuckled mirthlessly as the memories came to him in droves. "Draenor, after the time of the cataclysm. After Nobundo opened our eyes, ears and minds to the elements. When the orcs foolishly pried the land to pieces with their foul magics."

"You mean, what Ner'zhul and Gul'dan did."

"Yes. The elements were in such turmoil after Gul'dan's treachery, and every shaman that was borne of Nobundo's teachings were put through their pleas as part of a rite of passage of sorts. I wasn't part of the first sect of shaman to be put through it, but that trial was one of the things that remained for years before we escaped on the Exodar."

Simonee nodded. "I don't think I'll ever understand the shaman, nor do I think I'll ever know what you're going through, but I want you to know that your friends are all here behind you."

For the first time since Simonee arrived at the Violet Stand, Garret smiled genuinely. "I thank you for your support; and perhaps by the time we are through with this journey, you will have learned something of the shaman and their ways."

"Come on, I'm sure Sira's worried about us. We should be getting back," Simonee said with a smile of his own.

Garret nodded again and hopped down from his perch on the leveled column, walking quickly to the strange transportation triangle. Both touched it and were sent to the sky, where Dalaran floated peacefully above.

* * *

Krionoso woke up from his fitful rest with the gut feeling that something was going on. Not necessarily something bad, just... something. Looking out the single window in the room he had occupied in Sira's house, he noted that it was nighttime. Not surprising, after he nearly passed out after he did his part in bringing Dalaran to Northrend, a process that ended not long after the sun crested in the sky. With a yawn, he brought himself out of his bed.

Downstairs, the dining room for once was completely empty. No teapots on the fire, no cups or saucers on the table, no older woman sitting and waiting for guests. It was a rather strange sight to Krionoso, but then again, he'd be a fool to think Sira stayed up all night every night, waiting for someone to show up.

He heard a quiet creak in the wood behind him, and spinning quickly on his heel, he found it to be the door opening. The culprits of such an action were none other than Simonee and Garret.

"What are you two doing up at this hour?" he asked, curious.

As they entered the house, Simonee replied, "Oh, you know. The usual."

"The usual?"

"Yeah."

As perplexed as ever, Krionoso shrugged. "Okay, so what _were _you doing?"

Simonee shrugged. "Went out for a stroll."

Not-so-gingerly placing the palm of his hand to his forehead, Krionoso gave up on questioning the two before he gave himself a headache. Garret, who was silently watching the exchange, chuckled just loud enough to hear, yet not loud enough that he'd wake up everyone in the house.

"The spirits of the land were calling out to me, and I was trying to... attune myself to them, as it were," he clarified.

"Attune? What do you mean?" Krionoso asked, latching on to the first real answer to his questions.

Taking a deep breath, Garret began, "Well, you see, different lands have different elemental spirits, as a result of climate, and other geological factors. For instance, the ones here have seen harsh cold and mass amounts of death. They speak of a web of tunnels built by the nerubians, of a basin filled with life from rim to rim, and of a vast tundra of cold, bitter winds. These things, and more. And, what's worse, they've been alone here, unable to connect with any being walking its surface, for so long."

Krionoso was dumbfounded, and his face confirmed as much.

"Perhaps a discussion for another time," Garret finished, with another chuckle.

"Agreed. I'm tired, and could probably use a nice tall mug of ale. So, in order to prevent the latter from happening, I'm going to indulge in the former," Simonee said, stretching. "You should probably do the same, Krio. You look like you just took a nice jog through the Twisting Nether."

Krionoso, still mulling over Garret's words, simply nodded. He realized, even having been answered, he still had no idea what Garret and Simonee had been doing out this late at night. Giving up on trying to figure everything out, at least for the moment, he allowed himself to trundle back up the stairs and into his room.

* * *

Morning came, and Simonee for one felt refreshed again. Rolling off of the soft cotton bed and onto his feet, he descended the stairs two at a time and found himself looking at a nearly-familiar scene. Sira was at her station at the dining room table, but Dagerly was the only one currently awake besides Simonee, enjoying a small cup of tea. It wasn't long before the mage was as well.

"Good morning, Simonee. I trust your hunting last night went well?" Sira asked, tilting her head to a side.

"Mmhmm," he replied through a mouthful of tea. "Turns out he went down to ground level for a bit."

"Ground level?" Dagerly asked. "What was he doing down there?"

"Shaman stuff. Regardless, he's back now, so all's well," Simonee said, and both Sira and Dagerly, to his surprise, accepted this as an answer.

After a small break spent in silence, Aubs and Aeriah had appeared at the table, each having been served a cup of tea, as was custom. Everyone had shared a 'good morning' with each other, but other than that, discussion wasn't at the top of anyone's list of things to do first thing in the morning. Eventually, the entire group had made their way into the dining room, Erylian included. Krionoso was still wearing a face of confusion after their talk last night.

After each one had finished their own tea, Simonee rose again to his feet.

"We should probably check in with Rhonin. We've got to get back to King Wrynn eventually, and the quicker we can get the go-ahead to leave, the quicker we can do that," he said, letting out a short sigh. "Agreed?"

The vote was unanimous to get moving again, everyone eager to do something other than just sit around all day.

Outside, the air was slightly cool, with a breeze playing about the spires of the city. It was actually a very lovely day, something Simonee hadn't been expecting upon arrival in Northrend. In the face of such pleasant weather, the short walk to the Violet Citadel was over faster than he was able to think about it.

Upon entering, Rhonin greeted them heartily. "Welcome back, friends. I trust you all have rested well?"

"Indeed," Erylian stated for the group. "In fact, I believe they are rested enough to be getting back to their liege. And, if it isn't a problem, I wish to join them."

Rhonin paused to think about this momentarily, as he turned over the risks and benefits of letting Erylian, a master mage - albeit a very skeletal master mage - go with Simonee and his band of friends. "I'll allow it, but be careful. None of us here need you to get slaughtered for setting foot among the Alliance," he finally replied, a slight scowl forming.

"Yes, archmage," Erylian said, nodding. He made no note of the ulterior motive he had in venturing forth with the motley band of adventurers.

"As for the rest of you, to the northeast of us, past the square, is a landing where we've set up a gryphon station for quick travel. King Wrynn is currently, as of our last correspondence, with his forces gathered in the Borean Tundra. I believe they're calling their new base there something to the effect of Valiance Keep."

Simonee tried to remember where the tundra was, and failing that, asked Rhonin on its whereabouts, to which the older mage replied, "Directly on the southwest coast of Northrend. Your gryphon will automatically take you there, so as to guide you there safely without any worries of getting lost. If that is all, you may leave now if that is what you wish."

Simonee nodded, wishing just as much as his friends to get moving on. With a goodbye and a bow, the group left the Citadel behind, locating the landing without much incident. As their gryphons left the city, he couldn't help but feel that this was just another bend in the winding road that had come to represent his and his friends' adventures.

* * *

A/N:

Python: Hey guys! Feels good to be back on track and starting a brand new adventure, doesn't it? I'd like to thank Ikeris again for joining me in this grand new beginning, and as has been pointed out multiple times, he'll be a recurring co-author. I look forward to starting the next chapter already! Be Happy, everyone.

Ikeris: So here it is, the first chapter of our first story together! Python and I talked for ages about co-writing a story, but nothing ever came to fruition. I'm so glad we're now working on this together. With our characters, his depth of writing, and my dynamic action I'm sure this is gonna be the best chapter (of the series) ever. So stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2: Valiance Keep

**Rising and Falling**

**Chapter Two: Valiance Keep**

Patchwork grounds passed quickly beneath as Simonee and friends rode their gryphons toward the coastal Alliance outpost known simply as Valiance Keep. No one had any idea what to expect upon reaching this outpost, but Simonee was rather pessimistic about the trip. So far, not so much of a glimpse of undeath had been seen, and everything had been rather serene, if not a bit eery. That never boded well, less so in the back yard of the Lich King's territories.

The light of dawn gave way to the subtler glow of afternoon as the party traversed the cold expanses of Northrend on gryphonback. The sky had originally been clear as they set out from the landing of Dalaran, but clouds had encroached the area ahead with increasing haste as the minutes and hours passed. Those clouds had then decided to pour near-torrential rain on the group, frigid and hard enough to possibly cause illness if it kept up. Luckily, the clouds passed almost as quickly as they arrived, and the group found respite from further inclement weather as they finally passed into the Borean Tundra.

Below, the terrain was as varied as a quilt's fabrics, ranging from deep orange sands to hot springs, to vast plains of grass. The six noted a necropolis floating ominously above the slopes leading into a small range of mountains; the first sign of the Scourge they had encountered upon teleporting into Northrend. Below that was a small network of caves that large, lumbering creatures entered every so often. Continuing on, they came across a small settlement with an airstrip, which gave an indication of who may have built the place. In the distance, Simonee could barely make out the shore, and what seemed like a dock that extended out into the sea. There was only one problem with this observation: the dock led to nothing on the opposite side, except for half-buildings and various frameworks for other buildings-to-be. Noting this, the mage remarked his thoughts to his fellow travelers.

Within another few moments, the party was upon the port, deciding to circle around it a few times out of curiosity and uncertainty. Finding nothing to be technically out of place, the gryphons slowly began on a decline until finally landing. With a slight jolt from impact with the ground, Simonee hopped down from the saddle and led the gryphon by the reins to what appeared to be a gryphon station. Tying the leather reins securely to the post, Simonee turned to take a closer inspection of the area.

"Seems as if we've arrived a bit faster than expected," Erylian remarked dryly. "So now what?"

As if on cue, one of the workers who'd been working on the nearest building shouted loudly, "Horde! Horde in the keep, sound the alarms!"

"Looks like we'll find that out shortly," Garret said as he finished up tying his own gryphon to the roost.

As the six travelers reconvened on the ground, soldiers began pouring out of nearby large tents, and bells rang from towers previously unseen. Each soldier that had been immediately alerted were already brandishing longswords at the sight of Erylian. For his part, the undead mage simply put his hands up in resignation, which only served to make the soldiers tense up even more as they inspected the man's garb.

"Oh please, if I had wanted to escape or harm anyone, I would already be long gone, or finished with you. Either way, you're safe from my whims," he said, sighing.

"Enough! You shut your trap. Why are you spying on us, eh? Going to report back to your Horde commanders, no doubt," shouted the lead soldier, who in turn was the one looking the most tense.

"You tell me not to speak and then ask me a question. How do you expect me to respond? Besides, your allegations ring quite false. I'm traveling with this man here," Erylian replied, gesturing in Simonee's direction, who had simply been frowning with his arms crossed at this development. "Now, we've been ordered by the Kirin Tor to speak with the king. We were told that he could be found here?"

"Yeah, right! You're only here to assassinate the king. You expect me to believe your tripe excuses?"

"Listen, you dolt. I'm speaking in Common. Most Forsaken don't even remember half of the language, much less than enough to communicate properly with the Alliance. And those who are loyal to the Horde care little about trying to do that anyway. Are you even listening to yourself, man?" Erylian questioned, befuddled about the soldier's apparent lack of common sense and general hostility at first sight. _'Then again,'_ he thought, _'I suppose I'd be the same, if I was in his position.'_

"What is all this commotion?"

As the bellowing call came forth, the crowd of soldiers parted briefly to make way for the king. He had looked drastically different since Simonee last saw him. His hair had grown long past its original stature and now hung loosely around his angular face. The old crown had since been discarded, and a suit of regal armor shined brightly in the afternoon sun, rather than the tattered robes that he'd been rescued in.

"Simonee. What is this undead... freak doing in my keep?" he asked coldly, eying Erylian through a tight, angry squint.

"King Wrynn," Simonee began, bowing in front of his liege, "this is Archmage Erylian. One of the fallen heroes from the battle at Mount Hyjal. He is an emmissary from the Kirin Tor, who sent us to seek you out."

Finally taking his eyes off of the elder mage to look at Simonee, the king briefly looked around at the rest of the group, locking eyes once more with Krionoso. "And HIM. What is the traitor doing in my midst?" he roared, seeming not to pay heed to what Simonee had just told him. Rage in his eyes, he sharply turned his head to scrutinize Simonee.

"Long story short, Krionoso didn't betray us. Slightly longer story, he was being brainwashed by a Legion demon posing as the keeper of the Dalaran ruins," Simonee replied calmly.

"And I'm supposed to believe that? In light of your service previously, I won't have you and your sordid party thrown into the dungeon. Instead, you'll be keeping the Scourge from overrunning our little operation here. They've been making daily sieges against our walls and if they break through, we'll have no foothold into these hostile lands. And if that happens, there's no way we will be able to put up any resistance against the Lich King. I'm sure you know what that means, so I won't spell it out for you," Wrynn stated.

"Thank you for being reasonable, King Wrynn," Erylian said, bowing.

"We'll see. Do as I ask and I may lend some sort of credence to your story. If I even catch the tiniest whisper that you've betrayed my trust, all that will be left of your stinking undead corpse will be naught but so much dust," Wrynn said, menace barely checked in his voice. "After you're done for the day, see me in my tent. One of the guards will direct you."

With those words, the king spun on his heel and started off away from the circle of soldiers, stopping only to speak with the man in front before leaving the area in a rush.

"Well, that was... pleasant," Krionoso remarked while he waited for the guards to clear out. "Remind me to do that again some time soon; I just love being held at sword-point. Makes me feel so loved and respected."

"Oh, but aren't you, Krio?" Garret asked, punching the mage's shoulder softly while wearing a friendly smile.

"Only sometimes."

The same soldier who had been speaking with Erylian stayed behind while the others fell away, doing whatever it was they had been doing prior to the alarm being sounded.

"The Scourge usually don't attack until twilight, but when they do, they hardly ever relent. I've only seen them stop briefly to bolster their numbers with those of our fallen. That said, I suggest you rest yourselves and prepare as best you can before they arrive. I figure it's only another hour before they come."

"Thank you for the information," Aeriah said, nodding.

"Another thing," the man added, "I will be accomanying you while you remain here. King's orders."

"The king doesn't trust us much, then. Understandable, I suppose, considering the circumstances of our arrival," Erylian mused. "So. What's our first plan of action?"

"I think doing this little job for the king would pay off for us in the end. Even if he doesn't believe our story, at least then we can explain ourselves a little more, with a little more privacy," Aubs said, nodding toward the mass of guards resuming their posts.

"It's settled. I say we take our friendly guide's suggestion and try to center ourselves prior to the Scourge's attack. It might do us some good," Simonee said.

"I'll show you where you can stay for the time being," the soldier said, motioning for the group to follow behind.

Staying just a few paces behind the man, Erylian asked, "Why the hostility earlier? It seems you're a very well-centered person. Or you're very good at concealing your feelings. On that note, what's your name? I'd like to know at least what I should call you while we're under your care."

"My name is Jeffrey. Beyond that, you don't need to know anything about me."

"Ah, so the second, then, if that."

"I'm just doing my job. If you want to try and analyze that, go ahead, but you won't find much from it," Jeffrey said, strained indifference coloring his speech.

"On the contrary, sir. It shows that you're either submissive or apathetic, and there is a very large difference between the two," Erylian remarked, as they continued to walk.

"Are you heckling me for a reason, or is this payback for what ocurred before us just a few moments ago?"

"I would just like to know why you would so blindly judge someone like me when you know nothing of me or my intentions. I even spelled it out rather clearly that I meant no harm, and yet you still decided to grief me. That is all," Erylian replied.

"If I tell you, will you drop the subject?"

"Upon pain of death... again. I swear."

"My entire family, save my brothers and I, was killed by a traveling band of Forsaken, out in the fields of Elwynn. Since I was a mere young boy, I've been struggling to raise what's left of my family while dreading my conscription into the Stormwind army. Now, I come to Northrend as a part of my tour of duty and find a Forsaken challenging my preconceptions of life. Imagine if you were in my position. What you thought was an enemy trying to make you believe he's a friend. Talk about system shock," Jeffrey said, shaking his head. "I'm still trying to figure everything all out."

"I'll be the first to admit that most Forsaken aren't above holding grudges against their former selves. It took me a long time to adjust to my life as what most people would call undead. I can't even imagine how I came into service for Arthas before the Dark Lady broke me from the haze. I am deeply sorry for those you've lost, but attempt at least not to see things as they were, but as they are. As much as it may seem to be so, not all Forsaken are responsible for the deaths you've suffered through, and as such shouldn't be held responsible for them. Some caution is necessary, yes. But not to the extreme you've displayed," Erylian replied.

Jeffrey seemed to nod slightly as he came to a stop and motioned to the tent to his side. "This tent, as far as I remember, is empty and available for use. The previous inhabitants were slain by Scourge the other day, so make free use of the space, if you please," he said, turning to the group.

Simonee stepped forward and nodded, thanking Jeffrey, afterward entering the tent.

As Erylian made for the entrance, he heard Jeffrey speaking again. "I'll need some time to think about everything, but thanks for what you said. It might just clear my mind up a bit."

Inside, Simonee noted how big the interior seemed to be compared to the small-ish exterior. There sat a very small square table in the middle of the tented area, bare as bare could possibly be, and perhaps a bit short-legged on one side. Beyond that, no furniture could be afforded within the space. As everyone filtered inside however, the space quickly became crowded, and the table had to be removed to compensate.

After everyone had finally settled in, things finally became quiet enough to rest their minds, and think about what would come next. No one besides Simonee truly knew what to expect, and even Simonee's memories were too hazy to recall to any great success. Too soon, however, twilight was upon them, and their thoughts shifted to the imminent battle as Jeffrey collected them and took up arms alongside his fellow soldiers in the field just beyond the keep, simply waiting for the Scourge to show up for their renewed assault.

Above the battlefield, the borealis swayed and lit the area with its beautiful colors, as the Scourge arrived in force. Nerubians led the charge, their plentiful, pointy legs clearing the landscape with a practiced ease. Behind them came the bulk of the Scourge's forces; those that had fallen in battle previously and were raised again to fight for the Lich King.

The Alliance forces held their lines as the abominable undead came crashing in toward them. Soon enough, the frontlines met, and battle was upon the forces. Gigantic spider-like limbs thrashed out, impaling soldiers as if they were made of nothing but so much soft lard. The legions of Stormwind soldiers swarmed toward the incoming nerubian onslaught, bringing down the mighty beasts with little more than sheer force of numbers and the flaling of their swords. Behind the nerubians, the scores of reanimated undead reinforced the Lich King's insectoid alllies; many flung balls of condensed ice, while others simply ran in with steel flashing about, slicing into as much flesh as they could manage to.

Simonee carefully studied the battlefield as he casted a myriad of spells into the opponent's lines, almost admiring the magic behind the undead forces' broken forms while he carefully tore them apart with blazing streaks of arcane fire. As he watched, he found Garret gleefully hammering away at the nearest nerubian's steely carapace, leaving behind deep cracks and oozing ichor with each strike of his elementally-infused weapons. Aeriah called upon the stars to rain down upon the battlefield, striking the reanimated dead with the moon's arcane fury.

Even with such devastating power backing the Alliance's defence, still the undead poured on their pressure, rampaging ever closer to the unfinished fortress. Even so, large walls of ice began to form, blocking off the advance and providing cover from the incoming spells bombarding the battlefield. Searching for the source of the walls, Simonee hadn't needed to look far, as he spotted Erylian gesturing wildly into the arcane, willing the barriers into existence. Close to him was the Alliance conscript Jeffrey, bravely holding off four skeletal warriors with deft movements and precise strikes. None of the skeletons even came close to harming him, his shield bashing aside every blow.

The battle, nearly as soon as it had begun, was winding down already. The undead had suffered innumerable casualties, their once imposing force whittled down to nearly nothing. The victory, while welcome, was still an uncertain thing in Simonee's eyes. The Lich King's army was more vast than a simple regiment of nerubians and rotting bodies. It was also a symbolic thing, a weapon of fear and unease that snaked its way into the hearts and minds of those that fought against him. Not only did he have numbers upon numbers on his side, but also the fear of death, and subsequently, rebirth. It would take more than a few simple victories in the physical realm to defeat such a thing. It would also require stalwart and adamant mental defense to ward away any thoughts of hopelessness.

Even with their subdued numbers, however, the undead fought. Battered and broken bodies continued to gnaw, slash and kick at whatever they could, the severed limbs acting as a separate, yet similar being. Such was the tenacity of the Alliance's latest enemy that they could survive and fight even beyond the threshold that would stop a normal being in its tracks. But that wasn't the most troubling sight to behold on the battlefield.

High above, in the skies quickly becoming mottled with layers upon layers of dark black cloud, a streak of brilliant blue alerted Simonee that something was definitely direly wrong. Soon enough, he realized, the battle would become much more complicated and desperate.

The streak eventually became a cloud of mist, in which he could clearly see bony outlining of a very large creature with something vaguely man-sized atop its back. Coming even closer, the cloud became a dragon, and the dragon was very, very angry.

Frozen in place with dread, Simonee could do little more than watch as the dragon closed in on the scattered pockets of fighting, eagerly eyeing its targets with blazing blue orbs. With a deafening roar, the dragon made its presence known. And yet, it wasn't the dragon that had Simonee's attention. Instead, that was solely held by the figure riding the dragon. Armored in black steel molded to look like a massive skeleton, and crowned by a helm of the same material, crafted to resemble that of royalty, the Lich King imposed himself upon the battlefield and all of its inhabitants. His eyes blue fire, and his lips set in an arrogant grin, the 'man' who had once been prince of Lordaeron leapt from his mount still in flight, and landed amidst the fighting.

Upon his appearance, those who were still struggling with the undead stopped and looked at him, while their opponents backed away, either in reverence, or in keeping with a silent order given by the Lich King's shattered mind. Simonee gripped his staff tightly in his hands, preparing himself in case the opportunity arose to attack the king of the Frozen Wastes. The Lich King strode closer to the unfinished Valiance Keep, silently demanding the attention of all who were near. The jagged blade that had brought death and destruction to countless beings, Frostmourne, rested in his grip, protruding like a dragon's fang.

Without provocation, he stopped, in plain sight of all.

"_So this is all the might the Alliance could muster to bring about my fall. I had been expecting more, Varian,"_ he said, the words easily echoing through Simonee's mind just as they rumbled out into the chilled twilight air. The voice was more than enough to supply a remarkable sense of absolute terror.

Seemingly from nowhere, Varian Wrynn strode from the boundaries of the fortress and glared at the Lich King. "And I expected more resistance from you. How easily we strode in upon your land. Expectations are often just a road to disappointment, it seems."

The Lich King simply chuckled. _"You are here because your silly farce of an assault continues to amuse me. But how quickly fun and games become tiresome. You aren't winning, Wrynn. You are merely a thorn in my side, and now it's time to be rid of you."_

At his last word, a deep rumbling shook the ground beneath Simonee's feet. Large cracks formed in the ground, rending the stone and depositing scores of undead upon the battlefield. Soldiers quickly rushed to King Wrynn's side and brought up arms, ready to defend him to their deaths. Before anyone had a chance to react, however, another earsplitting roar sounded above the dark clouds that had come about with the Lich King's arrival. Cutting through the misty black, five majestic red creatures streaked down, fire streaming from their gullet and engulfing the undead rising from the depths of Northrend's foundation. The Lich King fixed his eyes on one in particular, tightening his grip on Frostmourne.

"_Alexstrasza..."_ his raspy voice breathed. _"This isn't over, Wrynn. Enjoy your victory while it lasts."_

As the red dragons continued to decimate the undead reinforcements, the Lich King again mounted on his own skeletal dragon and escaped, headed north to Icecrown. Dumbfounded over the events that had just taken place, Simonee simply watched the red dragons' almost beautiful destructive power as it tore through whatever undead still moved. After it was done, the one the Lich King had called Alexstrasza, the largest dragon, landed and began moving toward King Wrynn and his entourage of defenders.

Alexstrasza, Simonee noticed from this close, was a lighter shade of red than the others that had arrived with her. Her vicious-looking horns curled upward, almost following the contours of her head, but in contrast, her eyes spoke of benevolence beyond comparison. Ivory spikes ran down her spinal column at intervals and her tail was a veritable mace, covered in those same spikes. With a tangible rush of magic, Simonee watched as the dragon took her humanoid form, tall and nearly elven, though... different somehow. Her skin was a dark lavendar,and her eyes were globes of white light. Horns much in the same vein as her dragon form's protruded from her forehead, framed by hair of the same purple as her scales had been. Exotic armor barely contained her modesty, although that was hardly of concern to anyone at that point.

Simonee had barely noticed as the other dragons set down and waited for what had to be their leader, save one. The dragon in question set down next to Alexstrasza and began to transform into whatever mortal form pleased it. As a dragon, it was most definitely not as elegant, nor as exotic, as Alexstrasza had been. It looked much like the other red dragons Simonee had seen in his time, nondescript and cloaked in scales of a bloody red. As an elf, however, he was obviously much more than any of the others. Long and flowing silver hair framed an angular elven face, with the signature pointed ears protruding from the sides of his head. Robes of exquisite make dragged along the ground, black and red patterns tailored impeccably on the cloth. Had it not been for his extravagant display however, no one would have thought him to be much different than a normal high elf.

Together, he and Alexstrasza walked toward King Wrynn, who waved his defenders aside. Simonee moved closer to hear the conversation between them.

"King Wrynn. Your arrival here is most pleasant, though not altogether unexpected," Alexstrasza said, her voice as clear and beautiful as a wind chime. "We have heard word from the bronze dragonflight that Dalaran has been restored, and that it now hangs in the sky over Crystalsong Forest."

"I had heard much the same myself, though I admit that I hadn't believed it. How did you know we arrived?" Wrynn asked, with a reverant bow.

"When the Lich King's armies began mobilizing, we knew it was wise to find the reason behind it. Nearly nothing exists that is hidden from us here in Northrend, King," said the second dragon.

"We would like to speak with you in private, however. And we would ask that you bring those that arrived from Dalaran as well," Alexstrasza finished. "Our flight will protect your borders while we speak."

The king nodded and motioned to one of his messengers, who in turn nodded and ran off quickly into the battlefield, corraling Simonee and his friends. Simonee couldn't help but wonder what was about to happen.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys. Been awhile, and for that I apologize. Had quite a busy year that's been keeping me from updating this thing. But, hey, what can you do? Don't know when the next update's coming, but I'll try and make it soon.

Be Happy - Python.


	3. Chapter 3: Allies of Wyrmrest

**Rising and Falling**

**Chapter Three: Allies of Wyrmrest**

The king's tent was a grand and wondrous thing, more like a felt palace rather than an actual tent. It stood imposing itself above all of the other tents in the half-built Valiance Keep, easily half the height of the prospective walls. Beyond the height, it was also impressively colored, a deep royal blue was the tent's primary hue, although gold filigrees danced in swirls around the top and bottom of the tent. Intermittently between those, the crest of the Alliance - the golden lion's head - had been placed. Simonee marveled at all of this as he was herded toward it by the king's messenger.

Overall, he had still been reeling from the sight of the dragons sweeping out of nowhere and saving the Alliance from an almost certain doom. The fact that the Lich King had already shown his countenance this early in the campaign was troublesome at best, disastrous at worst. All of his willingness to move forward with his adventure had been whisked away with the wings of the bone dragon, and replacing it was a cold dread that refused to go away. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not his companions were feeling the same way.

Regardless of what he felt, he was inexorably shepherded inside the tent, which was just as magnificent as the exterior made it out to be. There looked to be several rooms that housed servants and the like, all performing different jobs that kept the tent running much like the keep back in Stormwind. The floor of the tent was truly that; instead of walking on the grass and dirt, Simonee found himself striding on a soft carpet that stretched to every corner of the structure. He found the experience more than fitting of the king's royal tent.

Toward the back of the tent was a large room, partitioned by the same cloth walls as the rest, although they seemed to carry more of an ominous foreboding than the others so far. Simonee shrugged this strange feeling off as he stepped inside, still being ushered by the messenger, who hadn't been sparing in his prodding and shoving, lending a sense of urgency to the matter. This, however annoying to Simonee, was quite understandable. There were, after all, presumably dragons in the room.

The room was decorated rather plainly for being what seemed to be a meeting hall of sorts. A long oak table stretched nearly from one wall to the next, with less than a foot of clearance on either side. The table was surrounded by high-backed chairs of the same wooden finish, and was topped by sheaves of parchment and candlesticks atop their bronze perches. The fire's light flickered slightly as a breeze of cool air wormed its way through the cloth walls.

At one side of the table, the king sat, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back and looked over the two dragons with a quizzical look in his eye. On the other side, the dragons were settled into their own chairs, their posture impeccable. As soon as Simonee and the group entered the room, the king sat more upright and addressed them.

"It seems you were telling the truth, then," he stated plainly, more than obviously in Simonee's direction. He wasn't sure, but thought he heard a hint of bitterness within the voice. "So Dalaran is now above the Crystalsong Forest. This is good, it will allow us further into the Frozen Wastes with less hassle."

Alexstrasza took this moment to speak up. "That is not to say you will not have opposition in getting there. As we speak, the Lich King fortifies the borders of his domain, in preparation for siege. However... we are not here to speak about the Lich King."

Taking his glare off of Erylian, King Wrynn instead looked at the dragon in her outlandish-looking humanoid form. "What do you mean?"

The dragonqueen sighed, shaking her head. "There is another threat that has been looming over us here in Northrend. Something that none expected to happen at such a pivotal moment. The Aspect Malygos has been driven mad and has been attacking Wyrmrest Temple incessantly over the past month. We fear that we will not be able to aid with your campaign until he is dealt with, one way or another," she said, her eyes focused squarely on the king's. "While his dragonkin continue to wage war in our skies, we are forced to defend ourselves, and his assault shows no signs of waning."

Wrynn scowled, obviously not having planned for this news. "How will we be able to help, then?" he asked with a short sigh.

"A distraction... or slaying enough of his kin that we may send a few of ours to aid you," the other dragon spoke. "With hopes, that will be enough to cause him to call off his attack."

"Krasus is correct; we wish not to have to bring the Aspect down, if we have the option. Though, we will not hesitate to take action if it comes time to do so, and we expect your champions to be able to pledge the same."

The king seemed to mull over his options before finally coming to a conclusion. "I can help you with your predicament. Simonee, come and sit," he said, as though he had just then noticed the group standing toward the entrance of the meeting compartment. As they sat, Simonee saw the dragons scrutinizing them with bemused expressions.

"These are the ones who traveled here from Dalaran, I take it?" Alexstrasza asked.

"Yes, they are. And, as much as I'm loathe to admit it, the undead one is part of their number, it seems."

Alexstrasza sighed. "It may be necessary to do many things that you are loathe to for this assault of yours to succeed. Not the least of which being to trust and, potentially, ally yourself with the soldiers of the Horde."

King Wrynn shook his head curtly. "The day I ally myself with those savages is the day my head rests atop a pike. And I assure you, dragonqueen, that the day is long from now."

"Regardless, I'm glad you could make it..." Alexstrasza trailed off, looking toward Simonee with an expression of questioning.

"Simonee, mi'lady. My companions are Dagerly, Aeriah, Aubs, Krionoso, Garret and Erylian," he replied, gesturing at each one in turn.

"Ah, yes. I'm glad you and your party could all make it here, Simonee. You must have heard the state of current affairs here in Northrend. Tell me, what do you make of the situation?"

"With all due respect, ma'am, it is a mess. Though, honestly, that anyone expected differently is more a shock to me."

"Indeed," the dragonqueen stated before looking back at the king. "We ask that you send these adventurers to our aid at Wyrmrest Temple above any others you may think of sending. We have many things to discuss with them, and their aid may be the most important of all."

"Consider it done, then," Wrynn said with a nod. "I will review the duty rosters and see who else would be a choice for candidacy."

"Thank you, king. We wish you luck in your travels, and may you succeed where many have failed before."

Standing from his chair, the other dragon, who had been referred to as Krasus, retrieved a small scroll of parchment from his sleeve and handed it to Simonee. "This is a map of Northrend, and included in it are almost every major landmark in the continent. You'll find us at Wyrmrest Temple."

At that, the two dragons departed from the room and left Simonee and friends sitting in the king's audience. Wrynn sighed gruffly, grinding the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"What a mess," he grunted. Looking back up, and into Erylian's glowing eyes, he continued. "Well, then. I suppose this means you weren't lying, doesn't it. While I still don't completely trust you, it is true that you defended Valiance Keep without hesitation."

"Yes, king. I never had any intentions of spying for the Horde. I am here on my own mission, independent of factions," Erylian stated.

"And what would that mission be, mage?" King Wrynn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Erylian sighed, and began lifting one of his voluminous sleeves. Displaying his bare left arm for all to see, the mage winced as the party all gasped at the sight. Instead of rotten muscle and discolored bone, from his elbow to his shoulder was covered in pale pink flesh. "To try and regain what is left of my humanity, my lord," he responded, watching as the king stared intently at the arm.

"But... how? How could this have happened? What kind of sorcery _is_ this?" the king asked, seemingly aghast.

"Honestly, I don't quite know the answer to that question myself. I remember my 'resurrection', shortly after which I blacked out and found... this," he replied, poking a bony finger at the bare skin. "Originally, I was sent out by Lady Windrunner to find what caused it, but since then we've had a... well, let's just call it a falling out. I no longer serve the Horde, but instead act more as an agent for the Kirin Tor to guide these adventurers on their way while I continue on my own search."

"Hmm. While this is certainly a development I usually wouldn't believe, I don't think I have another choice at the moment; it's too insane _not_ to be true.," the king stated. "But, I will leave it at that. It seems as though the dragons are having issues in the Dragonblight, and that you are to go and help them, however you can. I'll be sending one of my people with you for the moment, and if you need more help, send correspondence. You'll leave in the morning. Travel by road, unless you wish to be ambushed by snobolds."

"Yes, my liege," Simonee said, bowing his head.

"And... Erylian was it? If I hear you've done anything even remotely suspicious, I will not hesitate to cut you down myself," Wrynn added. The undead mage nodded his understanding before heading out of the room.

Outside of the tent, the Alliance troops worked at cleaning up the mess from the battle – that which hadn't already been incinerated by the dragons' arrival. In the distant horizon, the massive reds could be seen heading back to wherever they had originated.

"Seems as though that's the direction of the Dragonblight," Garret observed.

"Then that's where we're headed, then, isn't it?" asked Aubs.

"Yes, it is... and we probably shouldn't keep the dragons waiting," Simonee replied.

"Probably best not to. Dragons aren't specifically known for turning to mortals for help. Especially not since one of their own happens to be the problem. If they think we will be able to help, then it is in our best interest to be on our way as soon as possible," Erylian stated.

Simonee nodded, but before he took even a single step toward the tent they had occupied, he heard the voice of Jeffrey, their warden prior to the battle. "The king has requested that I join you in your journey, both to aid and to watch you. I hope you don't mind too much."

Saying nothing, Simonee shook his head and led the way to the markedly unadorned tent that Jeffrey had previously brought the group to earlier in the day. The sun had been completely gone for hours at that point, the only light in the area being the bright fires that the dragons had suppressed the undead assault with. The dancing flames added an eery feeling to the soon-to-be keep, the shadows of the tents flickering across the large camp, while the larger towers cast long shadows reaching toward the sea. Even with such destruction surrounding Valiance Keep, Simonee couldn't help but marvel at such serene beauty; in the sky above, the aurora continued to dance as it had during the battle.

Putting his thoughts of such things aside, the mage peeled open the felt door leading into the tent and settled himself down in a small corner. His mind wandered toward the events of the night. He couldn't believe his own eyes – the Lich King had made himself apparent so early in the Alliance's campaign in Northrend. No doubt he was using his primary weapon, fear and doubt, to break the soldiers' spirits.

Seeing Simonee's expression fade into a blank stare directed at the wall, Garret slid in next to him, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"So what's so interesting about that wall over there?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hmm? Oh... nothing, really. Just thinking," Simonee replied.

"Thinking can often bring a man peace; though more often, it does more harm than good. It's not healthy to dwell on your thoughts. Especially after... that," Garret said, knowing well enough what the mage had been thinking about.

Simonee nodded. "Yeah, probably not. But... no, nevermind, best just to forget it and move on. This invasion's only just begun, anyway. We should get some sleep. We have a long, long road ahead of us into the Dragonblight."

"Aye, I'll see you in the morning," Garret said, already beginning to shuffle away. All of the others were busy preparing themselves for the next morning's trek or sleeping at that point, and so Simonee began to lie down as well. Within moments, he was not-so-soundly sleeping, still doubtful for their mission's success.

* * *

When morning came to the Borean Tundra – much earlier than Simonee had expected – shafts of light began spearing through the soft cloth of the tent's roof, immediately waking those that hadn't been sleeping well. Simonee was the first to stir, having dreamt of the Lich King's appearance the entire night, followed by Dagerly and Aubs. The three of them set to work on rousing the rest of the band, reasoning that the sooner they set out, the sooner they would be there and ready to help the dragons with their mad brother, Malygos.

Up until Alexstrasza's visit to Valiance Keep the day prior, Simonee hadn't even seen a dragon Aspect up close, having only read about them in stories of the past, in the time of the Sundering when another of the Aspects went mad and plotted against the dragonflights. He shrugged the thought off. Now wasn't the time to think about that, there were plenty other – not to mention much more immediate – dangers to think about. When everyone was packed and ready, Simonee led the group outside, into the daylight.

Garret grunted as he exited the tent, holding a hand to shield his eyes from the light. "I didn't expect the sun to be so bright so far north; all I've heard about Northrend suggests that it is a lightless, cold expanse of ice and sleet," he said, partially allowing his eyes to acclimate.

Jeffrey was the one who responded, "No, that's Icecrown, the glacier that rammed into the continent ages ago. It's where the Lich King resides in his palace of ice, the Citadel. It's also where he... shed his last vestiges of sanity... and became the Lich King."

"That's enough of that kind of talk. We should be traveling to the Dragonblight, not spreading horror stories," Simonee said, looking evenly at Garret and Jeffrey.

He turned back to the road leading out of the tent city they called Valiance Keep and began the long trek towards the Dragonblight. Immediately after stepping from the bounds of the Keep, they noticed a long wooden bridge connecting the tiny island to the larger mainland. The bridge led out to a beach, besieged by the Lich King's minions. Carefully the group weaved their way through the scattered fighting and worked their way off of the beach.

The scenery shifted from sandy beach to fields of red grain that stretched as far as Simonee could see, the horizon showing off impressive hills in the distance beyond. Small rock formations jutted from the ground here and there, around which were stationed snobolds, the distant northern cousin of the underground-dwelling kobolds that Simonee was used to dealing with back in the Elwynn Forest. Their appearance was similar despite the fact that the snobolds seemed to be more cunning than their counterparts, channeling some sort of spell into the rock. Larger beasts roamed the plains, who seemed to be controlling the smaller vermin. They had four stocky legs matted with thick fur, as well as two arms as thick as tree trunks. The head looked proportionally powerful to the rest of the body, with two long tusks curling upward out of its mouth. Whatever the beast was, it was Simonee's intention to not get anywhere close to it.

After the party had been walking for a few hours, the sun started sinking again, to the other side of the hilly regions, which cast long shadows across the plains. A chilly breeze played through the valleys, causing the group to bundle up in their robes and traveling attire. Soon enough, Simonee lost track of the road and found himself stepping through the grassy field. The sound of a surprised snobold was the first thing that brought his attention back to his surroundings.

Looking up, he found one of the small snobolds staring directly at him and the party, holding a torch in his hand, despite having a candle lit upon his helm, and the fact that it was still within the afternoon daylight. It chittered again prior to running away, leaving the path clear for Simonee and the others to continue forging ahead, still eastward bound. Even so, it was a trying experience trying to find the road again, as in his inattentive state, Simonee had led the group quite a way away from it.

They still hadn't found it when an ominous growl started to follow them, accompanied by squeaks and grunting. It hadn't taken a brilliant man to know what had picked up their trail; before he turned around, Simonee knew what had been behind them. Garret was the first to call out in surprise.

"Large beast behind!" he called, before being pummeled out of the way by the charging bull-beast. He landed a few feet away, rolling back to his hooves in a flash, with both hammers poised to strike. The beast hadn't been able to catch any of the others before needing to turn around to try again, his targets deftly rolling out of its path.

"Oh dear, now we've done it," muttered Jeffrey as he unsheathed his blade. "It's a magnataur!"

Krionoso glanced at him, confusion apparent in his eyes. "What in the nether is a magnataur?"

Before Jeffrey could respond to the question, he was set upon again by the hulking monster. He raised his shield and battered away the beast's weapon – a large club, just smaller than he was – as it came down in attempt to crush him. Before the magnataur was able to recover, Jeffrey dodged around to its side and brought his own weapon in for a quick attack. The magnataur's hide absorbed much of the blow's energy, but the swing hit home, and a gash appeared where he had struck.

By this point, the entire party had come to their senses and began to attack the beast together. All of them were careful of the man-sized club the beast wielded, but also very wary of the smaller snobolds, who had been flinging spells around wildly, confused and afraid. Bolts of fire streaked across the plain that had quickly become a small battlefield, some coming near to their targets, others missing in spectacular fashion.

Simonee could hardly concentrate on casting anything, with the snobolds' interference, and trying to stay away from the magnataur so he didn't become a splatter on the ground. The spells he did manage to get away, however, were very effective, two fireballs managed to wend their way through the storm of battle, striking the magnataur and catching small patches of its fur ablaze. With the combined assault of the group, the beast hadn't proven too much of a challenge, and soon fell, leaving only the snobolds, who without their apparent master, had lost all interest in fighting. Watching as they fled into the nearby hills, Simonee sat down briefly, exhausted.

"Okay," Krionoso said between heaving breaths, "so, what are magnataurs?"

Jeffrey responded, "They're the indigenous species around here. They enslave the snobolds to do their dirty work, mining the rock and protecting their land. As you've just seen, they can be... fairly aggressive. Which is why we should get back on the road as soon as possible; they generally avoid it."

"Right. Fairly aggressive. I'll be sure to remember that the next time one's aiming to remove my head with that club of theirs," Krionoso said, rubbing the sides of his head.

"Oh, the club's not even the worst of their weapons. Some of them carry axes, too."

"Lovely."

After their short rest, Simonee stood and resumed his attempts to find the road, still maintaining their eastward trek. Soon enough, they were traveling along the stone-paved path again, away from the threat of the magnataurs and snobolds. In the near distance, Simonee could see a tower atop a small hill, with an incline leading up toward the ridge it was on.

"What is that settlement?" he asked, gesturing in its direction.

Looking at where Simonee pointed, Jeffrey answered, "That's Amber Ledge. There's nothing there as far as the scouting parties could tell. Well, nothing other than an ornery red dragon, I should say."

"A red dragon?" Eryllian asked. "What's a red doing here?"

"We don't know, he refused to answer any questions."

"I think we should investigate," Eryllian said, a resolute tone in his voice.

Krionoso didn't like the idea. "If you want to get on a dragon's bad side, that's your thing. But I would rather not keep one waiting."

Simonee slowed to a halt, thinking. "I admit, I'm curious as well. But our mission's to get to Wyrmrest as soon as possible. I don't think a stop over to the ledge will earn us any favors with the dragonqueen."

"Perhaps not, but I'm getting a strong feeling that we're going to want to check it out regardless," Eryllian responded.

Simonee nodded. He thought he understood what Eryllian was getting at. "Alright, we'll spend the night there, and if we don't find anything suspicious, we'll be out of there at first light."

"Wait, what? What is the purpose of stopping here? We should continue on, as far as we can before it starts getting dark out!" Krionoso called.

"There's no point in exhausting ourselves. The dragons are probably going to want us at the strongest we can be, if they're expecting us to do something about a rogue Aspect. Besides, if we can talk the dragon there into letting us spend the night in the tower, we'll have some protection from the winds and rains, if there are any," Simonee said.

"If you say so."

"Thank you," Eryllian said, nodding his head.

The settlement wasn't terribly far from where they were. They traveled until they came to a split in the path, with a dirt road heading up the ramp and into the plateau where the tower stood. As they started ascending the ramp, Simonee could make out the horns and brilliant red scales of the red behemoth's head, alert and on guard for some reason. It noticed the party encroaching upon its territory, and turned its full attention to them.

"Stay where you are. What is your business here?" he asked, his voice resonating in the nearby basin.

"We're simply here to rest for the night; we are traveling for Wyrmrest Temple, at the behest of the dragonqueen, Alexstrasza," Simonee called, to the best of his ability. His voice wasn't going to carry nearly as far as the dragon's did, and he sure wasn't going to try.

"Hmm... yes. I recall seeing the life mother departing these hills just last evening. I had wondered why she would go through the trouble of coming here through the blue's assault. It seems I've just happened upon the answer. But, if you are indeed traveling to the temple, where are your steeds? Surely you would make better time mounted than on foot," the dragon mused.

Simonee nodded, "Indeed we would, but as it is, we have none."

"I see you mortals are as foolish and reckless as ever, always eager to get yourselves killed. Very well, come if you wish. But accommodations may be less spacious than it would seem from the outside."

Simonee looked back at Eryllian and the elder mage simply nodded. It seemed that he was keeping information to himself, and that was something Simonee didn't appreciate. Narrowing his eyes for a brief moment at his contemporary, he turned back to the incline and began ascending. The dragon watched, seemingly bemused.

The plateau at the top of the hill was a sight to behold; a meadow of brightly-colored flowers rested beneath the gargantuan red dragon, providing both bedding and scenery. The tower stood tall, the gray stone building sticking out against the obsidian hills and the bright green grasses. As the group settled into the plateau, both Garret and Aeriah seemed to relax slightly, in the presence of natural life. Simonee hadn't noticed much in the way of foliage, except for atop this one hill, leading him to believe the dragon was the catalyst for its growth.

Even before he stepped into the tower to investigate it, he could feel the distinct flow of a magic user's aura. Again, he glanced at Eryllian, who seemed more than happy simply to inspect the field of flowers, as well as the dragon that sat atop it. Giving a short sigh, Simonee turned back and entered the tower.

The interior was reminiscent of Stormwind's architecture, with a winding ramp leading ever higher into the building, with landings in increments as it went up. Simonee began climbing the ramp up, noticing nothing truly out of the ordinary until he reached the very highest landing. Once there, he noted the presence of alchemical apparatuses spread out upon myriad tables. Many of them were in use, some merely holding reagents while others contained entire reactions, as whoever had made their home here ran experiments. Even though there were more than one volatile reactions going on simultaneously, there was no sign of the alchemist studying them. Confused, Simonee decided to further look into the matter.

He knew that there was someone in the tower; he could feel the magic essence emanating from them. The only matter was in finding whoever it was.

Before long, however, that person found him.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this. I've been working on doing quite a few things, and many of them happened to have held more importance in the long run than something like this. I hope to be able to update once more before the month is out, but of course, I'm not going to go and promise anything when I know I'm probably not going to be able to keep it. Regardless, thanks for sticking around, if you indeed have.


	4. Chapter 4: Tower Defense

**Rising and Falling**

**Chapter Four: Tower Defense**

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my tower?" asked a voice from behind Simonee. "I hire a dragon for protection, and even he can't keep out pesky passersby..."

The voice was feminine and quite obviously not very happy with him, discernible even through the filter of magic essence. Simonee turned around quickly, only to find nothing standing from where the voice came. Confused momentarily, he narrowed his eyes and searched harder for the owner of the dissatisfied voice. Instead of finding a person, he found a floating arcane eye. The eye was a basic spell, one that he'd learned as well, in his time in Quel'thalas. It had a rather short range, so whoever was behind it was not far away.

"My name is Simonee. I am traveling with my party to Wyrmrest Temple, and we stopped here to rest for the night," he said, looking directly into the iris of the magic eye, which narrowed in turn. "We weren't told that there were others here. I apologize if we're trespassing."

The eye dissipated into a fine mist before he received a response, leaving him to wonder who would be here, or how they would have the means to 'hire' a dragon to protect them. Most dragons would have loved to incinerate a mortal with that kind of audacity on principle alone; not one creature was allowed to be more full of hubris and clout than a dragon was. Whoever this mysterious person was, they were obviously _very_ lucky or very dangerous... perhaps even both. Before he was allowed to think further on the matter, he was interrupted by the distinct sound of someone materializing downstairs through a portal. The sound of footsteps could be heard echoing up the spiraling ramps within, until Simonee was face-to-face with the mage responsible for the eye and the alchemy in the tower.

"Simonee, was it?" she asked, eyes trained on his. "Yes... I've heard of you. You're the one that Archmage Rhonin sent out toward Valiance Keep. Why are you traveling for Wyrmrest? I thought you were to report to the king."

Simonee inspected the female mage who had just arrived in front of him. She looked to be rather young, yet the power radiating from her presence spoke otherwise; she was obviously very in tune with the flows of magic, and that harmony came with naught but experience. Her raven-black hair hung loosely about her face, her bangs framing brilliant blue eyes. She was garbed in a set of purple robes, the standby of the mages of Dalaran, the trims of which dyed with golden patterns. On her back was set an intricate wooden staff, her focus of choice.

"Yes, that was why we were flown to the keep, and we have accomplished just that. However, complications sprang up and the very queen of the dragons has asked for our assistance with a matter of some importance," he replied.

"Alexstrasza? What does she need you for?"

"The king needs the dragons' assistance in gaining more ground in Northrend, but they can't do much with Malygos and his flight attacking the temple night and day, and so he sent us to try and help however we can."

"It is true that the blue flight has been pestering the temple for quite a while now, and Surristrasz has been very quick to remind me of the dangers. He also seems very privy to information that is of importance to the Kirin Tor, regarding the Nexus."

"The Nexus? If I may ask, what is that?"

The mage turned to one of her experiments, answering, "It's the single largest ley line that the Kirin Tor knows about in this world. It seems that Malygos is simply distracting the dragons from halting his progress at the Nexus; he seems intent on containing the magic of the world there under his control, and unless something is done to stop it, he's quite likely to succeed, if Surristrasz's urgency on the matter is to be believed."

"Do you think that's truly why Alexstrasza requested our aid?" Simonee asked, going over what information he had in his head.

"It is quite likely, if I had to guess. Regardless, you may stay here for the night. If it really is what she wants of you, then it is indeed best that you get there on your best legs."

"Thank you... err..."

"Evanor, Archmage of the Kirin Tor, at your service," replied the female, looking back at Simonee.

"Thank you, Archmage," Simonee said. "You said you hired... Surristrasz, was it? How did that come to be?"

* * *

Erylian watched as Simonee disappeared into the tower's heights, feigning interest in the dragon. He had known about his fellow archmage's presence on the Amber Ledge, as well as the red behemoth's reasons for being here. He meandered about the meadow as Simonee inevitably met with Evanor, taking in the sights. The plateau was larger than it seemed at first glance, with not one, but two grassy meadows thanks to Surristrasz simply being there. Not ten paces from the tower, there was a bridge over a wide channel that led to an island bordered by tall mountains. The bridge was broken, a large gap in the wooden planks attesting to the fact. Stone pillars marked where the halfway point and the ends of the bridge would have been, the ones in the middle stretching a very long way down into the channel. Erylian briefly wondered at what had destroyed the bridge, but was interrupted by Krionoso.

Ever since he had arrived in Dalaran, he noticed his son was conflicted and confused about him. Erylian really couldn't blame him, as he had literally been dead most of his son's life, and it obviously put a stopper on whatever relationship would have been between them. As such, he wasn't surprised with the callous treatment he received.

"So why, again, are we stopping here? Seems to me like we still have plenty of sunlight to be traveling," Krionoso asked, stepping next to his father.

"There's someone here I need to talk to, and things I need to do," Erylian replied, taking a look at his son.

The last time he had even seen Krionoso was a few months after he was born; just before he went to go head off the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal. Since then, he could tell Krionoso had his fair share of fighting; his face was nearly perpetually in a scowl, and deep lines had already begun forming, even though he was still quite young. His blonde hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail, and his face had been beginning to show signs of the same blonde hair poking through the skin.

"_You_ need. The rest of us could be continuing on! There's literally no reason for us to really even be here, then," he said, beginning to raise his voice in exasperation.

"It's not just me I'm here for. There are many events in motion that we all need to know about, and our first order of business should be finding out as much information as possible. Keeping ourselves from exhaustion is also paramount," said Erylian, turning toward the second meadow, away from the dragon's prying ears.

"What do you mean, 'events in motion'? I just want to finish whatever it is Alexstrasza wants of us, and to be done with the lot of it. I don't know about you, father, but I'm just trying to stay alive at this point," Krionoso asked, following Erylian.

"I understand, but this is larger than you, and it is larger than I. We really don't have much choice in the matter, as these things are inexorably sweeping us in, and there isn't any way out beyond resolving it completely. That requires understanding the situation as a whole, so that we can be ready for things as they come."

Krionoso scratched his head. Sighing, he said, "This is unbelievable. Is there any end to this madness?"

Erylian chuckled mirthlessly. "Yes; death. And by my experience, it's nothing truly special."

"Now that's just morbid," remarked Krionoso, grinning slightly.

"Can't help it, it's my nature," Erylian said. "Regardless, we should get back with the group, Simonee should be finished soon. We'll talk more later on."

Krionoso nodded, and together, he and Erylian made their way back toward the group, which had congregated in front of the dragon. As Erylian got there, he saw that Simonee had indeed met with Evanor and was busy briefing the group.

"...called the Nexus, and that's basically where we stand on that matter," Simonee said.

"Sounds troubling. But nothing has answered the question of what we're supposed to do against a dragon _Aspect_. I mean, a dragon is one thing – no offense to our present company – but an Aspect is a whole other league entirely!" Dagerly responded, gesturing wildly.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Aeriah said, scowling. "Besides, we're on our way to Wyrmrest Temple right now. While we're dealing with... whatever it is we need to do there, we can figure out the problem at the Nexus."

"For now, though, we're welcome to stay here for the night, in the tower. Archmage Evanor will be providing provisions and assigning watch rotations; Malygos' mortal subordinates have been scoping out the area, and they'll have seen us arriving. There's also risk of the snobolds and magnataur attacking," Simonee stated.

"What fun," Krionoso said, half-bitterly. "So when do we start rotating?"

"Well there's little to no risk right now, so for the moment we can just get set up inside," Simonee said, gesturing at the tower.

A question occurred to Erylian, but he bit his tongue until a better time. For the time being, he would just unpack his things and get settled in. He walked inside the tower and took a good look around, finding nothing of importance to him. Satisfied that the quarters were at least large enough vertically to fit the party and with plenty of room, he set down his pack next to the entrance and retreated outside.

The sun was finally beginning to disappear behind the hills, causing the sky to take on a purple hue in the chilly twilight. Everyone else began to bundle themselves up, but the chill was lost on Erylian. Simonee was making preparations with Evanor, leaving the rest of the group to get themselves settled in for the night. Erylian was as relaxed as he needed to be; he longingly thought of what it would be like to again have what flesh he may have. It had been a long, long time since last he felt anything.

As soon as he notice Simonee begin to move to himself, he walked to intercept him. There were some answers he needed about the situation.

"So tell me; what good is hiring a dragon for protection if they aren't going to protect the one who did the hiring?" he asked, as he walked up next to the younger mage.

"Surristrasz does protect the archmage, but she saw fit to have us repay her gratitude with some of our own. Not bad as far as trades go, I don't think. Surely that's not the only reason you've come to me, though," Simonee replied, continuing on his way back toward the tower. "So what do you need?"

Erylian thought carefully on how to word his next few phrases. "I need you to be prepared for something beyond a simple invasion," he said, looking Simonee in the eye, as best he could.

"For what? Not planning on betraying us, are you?"

"No, of course not. But you should know what happens when I regenerate. Or at least, what happened the first time."

"Okay, so what happens, then?"

"Well the catalyst is still unknown, but when the reaction starts, I black out. While I'm out, there may be... unexpected events occurring, beyond just the return of my flesh."

"I don't think I like where this is going, magister," Simonee said, finally stopping. "Can you explain to me exactly what you're going on about? If not, then we can take things as they come."

Erylian faltered for words before settling on a sentence. "I'm not sure exactly what happens, but the latent magic in the air may cause a reaction, one that may be more harmful than I anticipate. Like, say, an explosion of arcane energy."

"How wonderful. Do you know how powerful this reaction could possibly be? Or are you just providing conjecture on the matter?" Simonee asked, raising an eyebrow. "And for that matter, is this really a possibility?"

"Yes, it truly is possible. I have no control over my mind while the process takes effect. As for how powerful, there's no telling. Last time it happened, I was lying in the middle of a crater smoldering, so take that as you may."

"Alright then. Just... try not to explode on us while we're here. I wouldn't feel like trying to tell Archmage Rhonin how a Violet Eye stronghold was wiped off the map by something that seems nothing more than coincidence."

Erylian chuckled. "I will see what I can do."

* * *

Night descended rather quickly on the land, as the sun receded from view, leaving not much more than the stars and whatever fire was possible as light sources. Cold air assaulted the Amber Ledge, along with winds that swept the plains. The only respite from the weather was to be inside the tower erected on the hill.

On the walls opposite from the bookcases lining the lowest landing was a pair of torches lighting the entrance to the tower. There, Garret was on watch duty, his being the first of the rotation. Everyone else settled down to sleep on the floors above, the firelight being impeded by the large spiraling pathways leading higher up.

Since his arrival in Northrend, Garret had been assailed by the wailing voices of the elemental spirits of the land. His meditative trek to the Violet Stand beneath Dalaran had helped him make some headway into their pleas, but even then they continually cried out for aid, and there hadn't been much opportunity for the shaman to attempt even the smallest ritual to appease them. The only choice he had for now, to keep from losing his mind, was to try and disregard it. But, as he was quickly becoming aware, no one ever completely ignored the elements.

He sighed and closed his eyes briefly, monitoring the earth's vibrations to ensure no one encroached upon the tower. Speaking an incantation, he began to meditate. If this was to be his only downtime in their time in the frozen northlands, he was going to make quite sure it wasn't wasted on his own comfort.

Garret made contact with the cacophony of spiritual noise that was the elements, and braced himself for the inevitable storm of energy that came with the communion with them. A rush of static enveloped him for a brief moment before the connection was complete.

Inhaling, he pushed into the heart of the earth's essence, forcing his own essence down, down, as far as he could manage. As he descended, he looked around him. Everywhere, there were canyons and crevasses, representing the wounds of the earth; things that should have been there simply weren't. Garret was astounded. He hadn't seen things like this since he trained on Draenor, nor had he wished to see such devastation again.

Loosing the breath, he poured energy into the cracks that surrounded him. The magic was brilliant, nearly blinding the shaman behind it. Even so, Garret could simply _feel_ the effects, as well as the earth's gratitude flooding into him through the link he had formed. He continued until he could no longer sustain the spell, and even then, he was reluctant to stop. If it weren't for a strong sense of danger, he probably wouldn't have.

Garret withdrew into himself again, to find that the sense of danger was more than just a sense – the earth itself had been telling him that Amber Ledge was soon to be under attack. He searched through the wind's eyes to find the source. A large contingent of spellcasters, all wearing blue robes, was marching up the hill as he watched.

Cutting off the link he had been maintaining with the earth's spirit, he began bolting up the tower to wake his comrades. The aftermath of the spell was beginning to affect him already; his legs were sluggish and he had to push himself just to continue forth. As he climbed he raised the alarm, waking his comrades. At the top he encountered who he assumed was the archmage Simonee had spoken to.

"What's this all about?" she asked.

"I fear we're being invaded, ma'am. I spotted some mages moving up the ramp, and they don't look terribly friendly."

"Malygos must have finally realized I'm here. It was only a matter of time, I suppose. Prepare yourself. His forces aren't likely to give up easily," Evanor said, scrambling to cut off her alchemical experiments.

Garret didn't wait around for long, deciding it was best that he get back down to his vigil at the bottom of the tower. As he descended, he noted that everyone else was beginning to make their own preparations for whatever would come. From the looks of the marching mages, they'd probably need the extra time, too.

The shaman collected his things and put his pack to the side, where no one would trip on it on their way out. From the pack, he pulled out his set of armor, placing each piece delicately in its place before looking after his pair of hammers. Diligently, he communed with the spirits of the land again, asking for their aid. From the wind, he asked swiftness and agility. From the fire, he wished tenacity. From the waters, he requested grace, and from the earth, strength and will. With the spirits' blessings, he set to imbuing his weapons with their energy.

As soon as he was finished, he stepped outside into the bitter winds and waited. Simonee was already there, along with Erylian and Dagerly.

Already they were beginning to see the beginnings of the sizable force marching up the ramp toward the tower. All of them seemed to be at least minimally able to sling spells, which made them all the more dangerous, and that wasn't even counting the fact that they were more than likely Malygos' servants. Before long, the entirety of the defenders had appeared outside, ready for the impending battle, and the invaders came to a halt.

One sorcerer, garbed in deep blue robes, stepped forward and called out. "Give up this land and the one who resides here and we shall leave peacefully," he said.

"Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that your request simply isn't possible," Simonee replied, his face set in a frown.

"That _is_ rather unfortunate. But not for us. Malygos' will be done, attack!"

Immediately, Simonee set a ward in front of the defenders, which deflected a barrage of spells loosed at the mage's order. As soon as the salvo dissipated, Garret roared and charged forth, readying his hammers to strike the first unfortunate soul to be near him. Swinging his right-hand weapon, he brought one across a mage's face, a sharp _crack_ resonating out from the strike. With his left hand, he battered away a frostbolt aimed his way. Quickly redirecting the momentum of the hammer, he struck the next mage in his path, which happened to be the one who had called the attack. When he was successfully mired within the midst of the mages, he began causing as much havoc as he could, calling upon the elements to protect him as best they could. Small quakes caused scores of mages to lose their footing, causing their spells to go wild, some even impacting upon unsuspecting allies.

Garret caught sight of Dagerly in the wake of his mayhem, slipping into the shadows and striking at whichever spellcaster was in arms' reach. Some of them hadn't even a chance to see him before the wounds from his daggers began to stain their blue robes red.

While his attention was elsewhere, Garret was blindsided by a frostbolt, sending shards of ice into his shoulder pads, some of which slipping through the thick mail and into his flesh. With a shout, Garret began his assault anew, striking down mages in the hopes that he would catch the one who had hit him. As he shoved a hammer into the gut of one such unfortunate sorcerer, he spotted another aiming a spell his way. Noting that there wasn't a way to avoid being in the spell's path by the time it reached him, he brought one of his mallets up to try and defend himself. Before the spell was loosed, however, Dagerly appeared, seemingly from nowhere. He kicked the mage in the back of the knee, causing him to lose the spellwork. After that, it was short work of a dagger in the neck to ensure that the man wouldn't be a threat. Garret nodded his thanks to Dagerly, who returned the gesture before moving on.

Garret lost track of how many sorcerers he felled during the battle, but eventually, someone had called for them to retreat, and the rest of the force fled back down the hill to wherever they had mustered. He stood at the top of the ramp and watched as Malygos' men marched down. His maces and armor were coated in blood, and a small bit to his chagrin, some of that being his own. His shoulder stung from where the frostbolt tore into his armor, and after the ice melted he began noticing blood seeping from the wound.

Satisfied that the mages were indeed leaving, Garret hooked his weapons onto his belt and surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The defenders looked exhausted, and a few had taken a hit or two, but they had all been standing, which was more than he could say about a lot of the invaders. Between the mages' devastating spells, his frenzied hammers, and everything else, they had more than made a dent into the force Malygos sent to apprehend Archmage Evanor.

At least a hundred sorcerers lied, dead or wounded, at the base of the tower. With such an impressive number of downed enemies, Garret was surprised they didn't take more out of him or his friends. He got the impression that they were merely testing the defenses, and not quite putting their all behind the offensive. Regardless, he had made sure that they were unsuccessful, and that was all that mattered for the moment. He would worry about the circumstances later.

Before heading back into the tower to wind down, a thought occurred to him. There had been a dragon taking post at the top of the ramp leading into Amber Ledge just that afternoon; why hadn't he helped defend the tower as well? He understood why the group was needed to help protect Evanor – after all, they were visitors, and her hospitality depended on their help – what he didn't understand was why the dragon refused to fight alongside them. He began searching out the dragon to find some answers.

He obviously wasn't at his usual station near the tower in his self-made flower bed, nor did he seem to be in the starry night sky. Thinking that perhaps the dragon had shifted forms and tread into the tower itself, Garret headed inside. Just through the doorway, he spotted the archmage, Evanor, peering outside, her arms folded and her face set in a scowl. She would likely be a good source for an answer to his question, Garret decided.

"Quite the battle," she noted, eyes still sharp and watching for any trickery. "You and your band performed rather admirably, I must say. Not what I was expecting from a group such as yours."

Garret nodded politely. "We've seen our share of conflict. Usually not of this scale, but conflict nonetheless. Anyway, there's a question you may be able to answer for me..."

Evanor turned and met his gaze. "What is it?" she asked.

"Where was the dragon through all of this? I'm sure he would have proven a most valuable ally," Garret said, turning to face the exit.

"While it is true that Surristrasz would have been able to... expedite your victory here, that would ultimately serve to doom this place. While Surristrasz keeps his presence here a secret to Malygos and his forces, the aspect of magic would have little reason to concern himself with a mere archmage. If he can slowly whittle me down, he will eventually be able to capture me and some of the Kirin Tor's most dangerous secrets would be within his grasp. If Surristrasz makes himself known, suddenly everything changes. If there's a dragon here protecting me, then there's suddenly cause for more drastic measures, like, say, sending dragons of his own flight here to incapacitate or kill him and then capture me directly."

"But then, what's the point of him being here in the first place if he's such a large risk to your security?" Garret asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To keep the smaller prey in check... like you and yours. It proves effective enough, and lets me work in relative peace. I find that the positives outweigh the negatives, if only because Surristrasz himself is great at knowing when his presence is necessary and when he needs to vanish."

"I see. Thank you, archmage."

"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my studies. These things don't appreciate being left to themselves, and I'd rather not keep them waiting long."

Evanor ascended the ramp leading to the higher reaches of the tower, leaving Garret to continue watching the plateau as his friends collected themselves further. A sharp sting in his shoulder reminded him of the frostbolt that speared him during the fighting, and he sighed. Tired and sore, he again sat on the cool stone floor and began his meditation anew, adding a small prayer to the earth for a clean mend to his wound.


End file.
